REACTIVE REPLENISHABLE DEVICE MANAGEMENT

• US 20110270487A1
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Ramer, Nathaniel Jordan, Dickinson, Blake, Horiuchi, Lisa Lei
• Application Number:
  US13/177,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20110270487A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/33
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/32 Waterborne vessels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/42 Fork lift trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/44 Industrial trucks or floor conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/32 Auto pilot mode
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/305 Communication interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/65 involving identification of vehicles or their battery types
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/80 Exchanging energy storage elements, e.g. removable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 : Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/167 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for supporting the interoperability of electric or hybrid vehicles, i.e. smartgrids as interface for battery charging of electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/12 : Remote or cooperative charging
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 30/14 : Details associated with the interoperability, e.g. vehicle recognition, authentication, identification or billing

Abstract

Reactive replenishable device management includes receiving, over a network, device measurement data from replenishable devices usable by corresponding vehicles and replenishable by corresponding replenisher devices; updating a usage profile corresponding to at least some of the replenishable devices, the usage profile including performance data derived from the device measurement data and saved to system memory over a period of time; determining whether energy usage of the replenishable devices is suboptimal based on corresponding usage profiles and vehicles in which the corresponding replenishable devices are used; and sending, over the network, a management recommendation to a mobile device of a user of each replenishable device for which the corresponding energy usage is suboptimal based on respective usage profiles. It may also include monitoring real-time performance data from the replenishable devices and corresponding vehicles for fault event information related thereto; determining whether the fault event information is indicative of a fault for the replenishable devices; and issuing an alert to a mobile device of a user for each replenishable device corresponding to a determined fault or having a usage profile indicative of a fault.

Claims

1. A method for reactive replenishable device management, the method executable by a computer system having a processor and system memory, comprising:

receiving, by the computer over a network, device measurement data from a plurality of devices including replenishable devices usable by corresponding vehicles and replenishable by a plurality of corresponding replenisher devices;

updating, by the computer, a usage profile corresponding to at least some of the plurality of replenishable devices, the usage profile including performance data derived from the device measurement data and saved to the system memory over a period of time;

determining, by the processor, whether energy usage of the replenishable devices is suboptimal based on corresponding usage profiles and vehicles in which the corresponding replenishable devices are used; and

sending, by the computer over the network, a management recommendation to a mobile device of a user of each replenishable device for which the corresponding energy usage is suboptimal based on respective usage profiles.

2. The method of claim 1, where the replenishable devices comprise replaceable batteries for powering the corresponding vehicles;

and the replenisher devices comprise battery rechargers.

3. The method of claim 2, where the device measurement data comprises a combination of:

identification data, descriptive data, real-time performance data, and historical data for the vehicles and corresponding batteries.

4. The method of claim 1, where the management recommendation is delivered via a phone call to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 4, where the management recommendation is delivered in an audio message to the user when the mobile device is answered in response to the phone call.

6. The method of claim 1, where the mobile device comprises a pager and the management recommendation is delivered to the pager.

7. The method of claim 1, where the management recommendation is delivered via an email or text message to the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, where the management recommendation is located at a uniform resource locator (URL), the email or text message including a link to the URL.

9. The method of claim 1, where the management recommendation is rendered on a display screen of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

playing an audio message of the management recommendation over a public address system of a facility associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 1, where the management recommendation is delivered as an audio message or an audio-video message to the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1, where the vehicles, the replenishable devices, and the replenisher devices comprise assets of a fleet, where the management recommendation comprises an asset rotation recommendation.

13. The method of claim 12, where the asset rotation recommendation is based at least in part on capabilities of the respective replenishable devices and a workload of the respective replenishable devices with respect to capabilities of others of the replenishable devices.

14. The method of claim 1, where the vehicles, the replenishable devices, and the replenisher devices comprise assets of a fleet, where the management recommendation comprises an asset reduction or an asset addition recommendation based at least in part on capabilities and workloads of the fleet assets.

15. A method for reactive replenishable device management, the method executable by a computer system having a processor and system memory, comprising:

receiving, by the computer over a network, device measurement data from a plurality of devices including replenishable devices usable by corresponding vehicles and replenishable by a plurality of corresponding replenisher devices;

updating, by the computer, a usage profile corresponding to at least some of the plurality of replenishable devices, the usage profile including performance data derived from the device measurement data and saved to the system memory over a period of time;

monitoring, by the computer, real-time performance data from the replenishable devices and corresponding vehicles for fault event information related thereto;

determining, by the processor, whether the fault event information is indicative of a fault for the at least some of the replenishable devices; and

issuing, by the computer, an alert to a mobile device of a user for each replenishable device corresponding to a determined fault or having a usage profile indicative of a fault.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

analyzing, by the processor, maintenance schedule milestones of a maintenance schedule for the at least some of the replenishable devices; and

sending an alert to a mobile device of a user for each replenishable device for which the processor determines that specified maintenance schedule milestones have not been completed.

17. The method of claim 16, where the alert comprises a maintenance alert informing the user that a scheduled maintenance is due.

18. The method of claim 16, where the alert comprises a compliance alert informing the user that the corresponding vehicle is being replenished less frequently than suggested by the corresponding maintenance schedule.

19. The method of claim 15, where the alert comprises a warranty period ending alert to inform the user that the replenishable device or the replenisher device has a warranty period that is ending.

20. The method of claim 15, where the replenishable devices comprise replaceable batteries for powering the corresponding vehicles;

and the replenisher devices comprise battery rechargers.

21. The method of claim 20, where the device measurement data comprises a combination of:

identification data, descriptive data, real-time performance data, and historical data for the vehicles and corresponding batteries.

22. The method of claim 20, where the alert comprises a charger service alert to inform the user of an unscheduled need for maintenance of the battery recharger.

23. The method of claim 20, where the alert comprises a vehicle service alert to inform the user of an unscheduled need for maintenance of the vehicle.

24. The method of claim 20, where the alert comprises a battery service alert to inform the user of an unscheduled need for maintenance of one or more batteries corresponding to the vehicle.

25. The method of claim 15, where the alert is delivered via a phone call to the mobile device.

26. The method of claim 25, where the alert is delivered in an audio message to the user when the mobile device is answered in response to the phone call.

27. The method of claim 15, where the mobile device comprises a pager and the alert is delivered to the pager.

28. The method of claim 15, where the alert is delivered via an email or text message to the mobile device.

29. The method of claim 28, where the alert is located at a uniform resource locator (URL), the email or text message including a link to the URL.

30. The method of claim 15, where the alert is rendered on a display screen of the mobile device.

31. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

playing an audio message of the alert over a public address system of a facility associated with the user.

32. The method of claim 15, where the alert is delivered as an audio message or an audio-video message to the mobile device.

33. A system for reactive replenishable device management comprising:

a processor and system memory, the system memory containing computer instructions executable by the processor to manage replenishable and replenisher devices;

a network interface coupled with the processor and system memory;

where the processor is operable to execute the instructions to;

receive, through the network interface, device measurement data from a plurality of devices including replenishable devices usable by corresponding vehicles and replenishable by a plurality of corresponding replenisher devices;

update a usage profile corresponding to at least some of the plurality of replenishable devices, the usage profile including performance data derived from the device measurement data and saved to the system memory over a period of time;

determine whether energy usage of the replenishable devices is suboptimal based on corresponding usage profiles and vehicles in which the corresponding replenishable devices are used; and

send through the network interface, over a wireless network, a management recommendation to a mobile device of a user of each replenishable device for which the corresponding energy usage is suboptimal based on respective usage profiles.

34. The system of claim 33, where the replenishable devices comprise replaceable batteries for powering the corresponding vehicles;

and the replenisher devices comprise battery rechargers.

35. The system of claim 34, where the device measurement data comprises a combination of:

identification data, descriptive data, real-time performance data, and historical data for the vehicles and corresponding batteries.

36. The system of claim 33, where the management recommendation is delivered via a phone call to the mobile device.

37. The system of claim 36, where the management recommendation is delivered in an audio message to the user when the mobile device is answered in response to the phone call.

38. The system of claim 33, where the mobile device comprises a pager and the management recommendation is delivered to the pager.

39. The system of claim 33, where the management recommendation is delivered via an email or text message to the mobile device.

40. The system of claim 39, where the management recommendation is located at a uniform resource locator (URL), the email or text message including a link to the URL.

41. The system of claim 33, where the management recommendation is rendered on a display screen of the mobile device.

42. The system of claim 33, the processor further operable to execute the instructions to:

play an audio message of the management recommendation over a public address system of a facility associated with the user.

43. The system of claim 33, where the management recommendation is delivered as an audio message or an audio-video message to the mobile device.

44. The system of claim 33, where the vehicles, the replenishable devices, and the replenisher devices comprise assets of a fleet, where the management recommendation comprises an asset rotation recommendation.

45. The system of claim 44, where the asset rotation recommendation is based at least in part on capabilities of the respective replenishable devices and a workload of the respective replenishable devices with respect to capabilities of others of the replenishable devices.

46. The system of claim 33, where the vehicles, the replenishable devices, and the replenisher devices comprise assets of a fleet, where the management recommendation comprises an asset reduction or an asset addition recommendation based at least in part on capabilities and workloads of the fleet assets.

47. A system for reactive replenishable device management comprising:

a processor and system memory, the system memory containing computer instructions executable by the processor to manage replenishable and replenisher devices;

a network interface coupled with the processor and system memory;

where the processor is operable to execute the instructions to;

receive, through the network interface, device measurement data from a plurality of devices including replenishable devices usable by corresponding vehicles and replenishable by a plurality of corresponding replenisher devices;

update usage profile corresponding to at least some of the plurality of replenishable devices, the usage profile including performance data derived from the device measurement data and saved to the system memory over a period of time;

monitor real-time performance data from the replenishable devices and corresponding vehicles for fault event information related thereto;

determine whether the fault event information is indicative of a fault for the at least some of the replenishable devices; and

issue an alert through the network interface over a wireless network to a mobile device of a user for each replenishable device corresponding to a determined fault or having a usage profile indicative of a fault.

48. The system of claim 47, the processor further operable to execute the instructions to:

analyze maintenance schedule milestones of a maintenance schedule for the at least some of the replenishable devices; and

send an alert to a mobile device of a user for each replenishable device for which the processor determines that specified maintenance schedule milestones have not been completed.

49. The system of claim 48, where the alert comprises a maintenance alert informing the user that a scheduled maintenance is due.

50. The system of claim 48, where the alert comprises a compliance alert informing the user that the corresponding vehicle is being replenished less frequently than suggested by the corresponding maintenance schedule.

51. The system of claim 47, where the alert comprises a warranty period ending alert to inform the user that the replenishable device or the replenisher device has a warranty period that is ending.

52. The system of claim 47, where the replenishable devices comprise replaceable batteries for powering the corresponding vehicles;

and the replenisher devices comprise battery rechargers.

53. The system of claim 52, where the device measurement data comprises a combination of:

identification data, descriptive data, real-time performance data, and historical data for the vehicles and corresponding batteries.

54. The system of claim 52, where the alert comprises a charger service alert to inform the user of an unscheduled need for maintenance of the battery recharger.

55. The system of claim 52, where the alert comprises a vehicle service alert to inform the user of an unscheduled need for maintenance of the vehicle.

56. The system of claim 52, where the alert comprises a battery service alert to inform the user of an unscheduled need for maintenance of one or more batteries corresponding to the vehicle.

57. The system of claim 47, where the alert is delivered via a phone call to the mobile device.

58. The system of claim 57, where the alert is delivered in an audio message to the user when the mobile device is answered in response to the phone call.

59. The system of claim 47, where the mobile device comprises a pager and the alert is delivered to the pager.

60. The system of claim 47, where the alert is delivered via an email or text message to the mobile device.

61. The system of claim 60, where the alert is located at a uniform resource locator (URL), the email or text message including a link to the URL.

62. The system of claim 47, where the alert is rendered on a display screen of the mobile device.

63. The system of claim 47, further comprising:

playing an audio message of the alert over a public address system of a facility associated with the user.

64. The system of claim 47, where the alert is delivered as an audio message or an audio-video message to the mobile device.

65. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for reactive replenishable device management in a computing system, the set of instructions executable by the computer system, the computer system including a processor and system memory, the computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions to receive, over a network, device measurement data from a plurality of devices including replenishable devices usable by corresponding vehicles and replenishable by a plurality of corresponding replenisher devices;

instructions to direct the processor to update a usage profile corresponding to at least some of the plurality of replenishable devices, the usage profile including performance data derived from the device measurement data and saved to the system memory over a period of time;

instructions to direct the processor to determine whether energy usage of the replenishable devices is suboptimal based on corresponding usage profiles and vehicles in which the corresponding replenishable devices are used; and

instructions to direct a network interface coupled with the processor to send, over the network, a management recommendation to a mobile device of a user of each replenishable device for which the corresponding energy usage is suboptimal based on respective usage profiles.

66. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for reactive replenishable device management in a computing system, the set of instructions executable by the computer system, the computer system including a processor and system memory, the computer-readable medium comprising:

instructions to receive, over a network, device measurement data from a plurality of devices including replenishable devices usable by corresponding vehicles and replenishable by a plurality of corresponding replenisher devices;

instructions to direct a processor to update a usage profile corresponding to at least some of the plurality of replenishable devices, the usage profile including performance data derived from the device measurement data and saved to the system memory over a period of time;

instructions to direct a processor to monitor real-time performance data from the replenishable devices and corresponding vehicles for fault event information related thereto;

instructions to direct the processor to determine whether the fault event information is indicative of a fault for the at least some of the replenishable devices; and

instructions to direct a network interface coupled with the processor to issue an alert over the network to a mobile device of a user for each replenishable device corresponding to a determined fault or having a usage profile indicative of a fault.

67. A computer-implemented method for dynamic control of one or more devices based on device measurement data received from the one or more devices, the method executable by a computer having a processor and system memory, comprising:

receiving, by the computer, device measurement data from;

a replenishable device, a replenisher associated with the replenishable device, and a vehicle associated with the replenishable device, the device measurement data including (a) identification data, (b) historical data, and (c) real-time data for each of the replenishable device, the replenisher, and the vehicle;

updating, by the processor, a usage profile associated with vehicle energy usage using the device measurement data received from the replenishable device, the replenisher, and the vehicle, the usage profile comprising performance data of both the replenishable device and the vehicle gathered over a period of time;

analyzing, by the processor, the usage profile to determine whether vehicle energy usage is sub-optimal; and

controlling, with a controller coupled with the processor, an operation of the vehicle when it is determined that vehicle energy usage is sub-optimal to seek to improve energy usage.

68. The method of claim 67, further comprising:

sending a command over a network to the vehicle to control the operation of the vehicle.

69. The method of claim 67, where the device measurement data comprises:

identification data that describes one or more time-invariant attributes of the vehicle;

historical data that describes one or more time-variant attributes of each of the replenishable device and the vehicle; and

real-time data that describes a single sample of one or more time-variant attributes of each of the replenishable device and the vehicle.

70. A system for dynamic control of one or more devices based on device measurement data received from the one or more devices, comprising:

a processor and system memory, the system memory containing computer instructions executable by the processor;

a network interface coupled with the processor and system memory;

where the processor is operable to execute the instructions to;

receive device measurement data over a network from;

a replenishable device, a replenisher associated with the replenishable device, and a vehicle associated with the replenishable device, the device measurement data including (a) identification data, (b) historical data, and (c) real-time data for each of the replenishable device, the replenisher, and the vehicle;

update a usage profile associated with vehicle energy usage using the device measurement data received from the replenishable device, the replenisher, and the vehicle, the usage profile comprising performance data of both the replenishable device and the vehicle gathered over a period of time;

analyze the usage profile to determine whether vehicle energy usage is sub-optimal; and

control an operation of the vehicle when it is determined that vehicle energy usage is sub-optimal to seek to improve energy usage.

71. The system of claim 70, where the processor is further operable to execute the instructions to send a command over a network to the vehicle to control the operation of the vehicle.

72. The system of claim 70, where the device measurement data comprises:

identification data that describes one or more time-invariant attributes of the vehicle;

historical data that describes one or more time-variant attributes of each of the replenishable device and the vehicle; and

real-time data that describes a single sample of one or more time-variant attributes of each of the replenishable device and the vehicle.